


The Prayer That Started It All

by gimmekensei



Category: Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Boys In Love, Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24205387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gimmekensei/pseuds/gimmekensei
Summary: With Kensei returning as Ninth Captain once more, things are returning to a new normal. The only worries nowadays for the Ninth division is protecting Soul Society still and running the Seireitei Communication. But trouble starts to brew when Saitou, a former fighter from the Meiji era finds himself in Soul Society. He still has all his memories of his former life but keeps it under wraps for the time being. Soul Society on recognizing his abilities, decide to put him under the Ninth’s supervision.At the same time in the World of the Living, Sanosuke wakes up without his past-life memories and soon finds himself under the medical care of Isshin. Slowly recovering his memories, Sanosuke starts to adjust to his new life with Ichigo’s guidance. Even though he helps Sano, Ichigo has his own troubles. Without his powers just getting through the day is a massive struggle, but one day a certain blue-haired visitor shakes things up...for the better?Byakuya finds himself worrying about Ichigo and ends up visiting the Human World to check on the former substitute soul reaper even though they all have strict orders to leave the teenager alone. Catching Byakuya at it, Kenpachi proposes a deal.
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo, Hisagi Shuuhei/Muguruma Kensei, Kuchiki Byakuya/Zaraki Kenpachi, Sagara Sanosuke/Saitou Hajime
Comments: 16
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

When Taicho had first suggested bringing back the Muguruma Commando Unit, Shuhei had nearly dropped the cup of tea he had previously prepared and had brought over to the Ninth Captain’s office in the hopes of soothing his frayed nerves. The Captain always got worked up when mutual tasks were hitting them all at once. They had been dealing with deadlines for the Seireitei Communication Monthly, and on top of that they had a special edition release of the magazine coming out this Friday... _ugh_....so much to handle and so little time. And then there was the training of the new ninth division members that they had just received. Luckily though the few benefits of having two lieutenants, was that while Shuhei handled most of the paperwork, Mashiro would train the new soul reapers, or as Renji once commented, “Beat the living shit out of them!”  
  
“Well, what do you think, huh? That cup can’t be _that_ interesting…” The Taicho snickered and rested his elbows against the wooden office desk and eyed his new Lieutenant. He didn’t know much about this kid, but he definitely wasn’t disappointed like Shinji had tried to suggest one day. For starters, the kid wasn’t as loud and a handful like Mashiro. And Hisagi truly understood the ins and outs of not just their division but also of Soul Society as a whole. A key skill to have, especially considering that on top of overseeing Seireitei Communication Monthly, the ninth division also was in charge of handling Soul Society's security.  
  
“I wouldn’t be against it Taicho…” Shuhei murmured quietly, as reserved as ever. In Shuhei’s defense for his guarded behavior, everything was still new. His former Captain was dead from his hands, his mentor had actually been very much alive and well and now that said man was sitting before him as his Captain. It was almost surreal. Renji and Kira had both been happy for his sake when the Visored had agreed to come back and resume his role as the Captain of the Ninth division.  
  
“Heh, I didn’t ask if you would be against it. I asked what you thought of the idea of it?” Kensei’s fingers intertwined to lock into place, elbows resting on the desk before leaning his chin against the backside of his knuckles as he observed Shuhei. In some ways, reading the Lieutenant's face was easy enough. In other ways, it was an utter challenge that Kensei didn’t always feel up to the task for. But this time around, he seriously wanted the brat’s opinion. While Kensei could be a bit too much at times with his older ways, Shuhei always managed to complement him well and fill in the gaps. Drunk one night and rambling on like a doting father would about his kids, Kensei had caught himself telling Rose that Shuhei was his yin to his yang. They really complimented each other that well...even with a few hiccups here and there.  
  
Feeling the strong gaze thrown his way, Hisagi felt the sudden urge to shrink into himself. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable or even intimidated, but it sure did feel like the older man was analyzing him in some way...for what reasons Shuhei had no idea why. Nothing about him was really a secret. “I believe it to be a good idea...but an idea that should be investigated at a later time when we aren’t buried in paperwork.”  
  
A burst of laughter spilled from Kensei’s lips as he fell back slightly, his back resting fully against the chair. This kid really did have some spunk...and he always loved it when Hisagi was frank with him like this. All in all, honesty was one of the necessary values needed to build trust between a Captain and a Lieutenant. “Heh, alright then but only if you accompany me.”  
  
Hisagi blinked at the laughter and though he tried to fight back against the bodily urge to do so, his lips curled upwards ever so slightly. “So I can further babysit you? If I was looking for such a role, I’d go track Mashiro down.”  
  
“Ha, growing a spine today?” Kensei snickered and got up, pushing the chair to the side, tea long forgotten as he left it right on the desk. He could deal with it later. “Well, come along kid. We got work to get done…”  
  
Shuhei sighed internally at the nickname but soon followed after the man, a mere step behind him as they left the office far behind.  
  


* * *

  
“What is it?” Shuhei asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at the state their 15th seat was in. Why the male was huffing and puffing, he had no idea. Was Soul Society under attack? Leaving his Captain’s side for the time being and praying that most of the paperwork would be handled by the time he returned, Shuhei stepped into the hallway to speak one on one with the out of breath individual.  
  
“We received a report of a stranger with a large level of spiritual energy...he also managed to take down several of the 11th division's men before he was subdued.”  
  
Listening intently, but not understanding why this matter was one he should deal with besides it being a security breach, Shuhei was about to open his mouth and question the soul reaper further, but he was silenced by the hand dropping down onto his shoulder. “So this is where you ran off too…” Kensei observed and though the comment was meant to be a mere tease, for some unknown reason the Captain seemed tense.  
  
“Forgive me Captain, but this should only take a minute-”  
  
“Shu, enough. I’ve got this. Head back inside and help them out before they cause more trouble for us.”  
  
“Ah, hai. Excuse me…” Still confused, but not willing to disobey his Taicho, Shuhei bowed politely before heading back inside to deal with the mess in the Seireitei Communication headquarters. Sighing quietly, Shuhei started giving out orders and tried to not think back to what had just happened. After all, his Captain could handle whatever it was.  
  
Watching Shuhei’s retreating back, Kensei stayed quiet for a good moment or two before sighing and glancing at his 15th seat. “So what’s this about?” 

* * *

  
So this was what happened after death occurred? Pressing a hand to his forehead to try to ease the headache he felt coming, Saitou lit his fourth cigarette that day and took a drag. The taste of the smokiness in his mouth helped to soothe his mind for the time being. To go from being a Captain of the Shinsengumi to being a police officer fighting for justice and the prosperity of the Japanese Meiji era...to this. He had figured that the afterlife would be with flames and yokai cracking whips at their dead prisoners, but not a…. "soul reaper” before him asking him to join some unknown division.  
  
The morbid-type to say the least, Saitou didn’t regret any of his actions that might be looked down upon as crimes. He had lived by his signature phrase, "Aku Soku Zan" (" _Slay Evil Immediately_ ") and he had done his duty. He had kept peace and order up even though it meant working with a government he had previously attempted to take down when he was in the Shinsengumi. The man known as the Lone Wolf of Mibu stayed quiet as instructions were given to him, laying out his future stay in this place of Soul Society.  
  
He still didn’t understand why he was here, but what he did know was, no one realized he had all his memories from his previous life. It seemed, what should have happened was he wouldn’t have been able to recall any aspect of his past life. Furthermore, to not be reborn in this soul reaper society and raised as one...was another difference. It seemed the fact Saitou had just appeared one day as his 39-year-old self was bizarre, to say the least.  
  
“Huh, so you’re the one they discovered…” A voice murmured behind Saitou, causing the male to shift, turning in his chair to study the man before him. Silver hair, piercings on his ear, slightly shorter than Saitou… the cop started making mental notes, figuring this male was going to play a role in his future.  
  
“Well, welcome to division nine.” 

* * *

  
  
**~ Meiji era ~**  
  
  
  
Saitou never really understood why Sanosuke went out of his way to visit him first when he had returned from his travels overseas. It really had been already 5 years, and the rooster still looked the same, though slightly more muscular. At least the idiot had been training still. That training didn’t mean anything though if Sanosuke had yet to learn some defensive moves. And wait, he still needed to figure out how the kid had tracked him down. Chou probably had a hand to play in this...  
  
Brushing aside his thoughts and tugging his winter coat closer around his shoulders, Saitou sighed at the sound of Sanosuke following close behind, his footsteps leaving behind marks in the snow. Sanosuke really was just like a puppy at times. His loyalty was just too much at times. “Coming all the way here to Hokkaido? Don’t tell me you’re that stupid that you forgot that the Battōsai is down south? Your lack of direction still never ceases to amaze me…” Straight to the point as always when it came to his harsh around the edges commentary, the wolf tried to ignore the carefree smile flashed in his direction.  
  
“Heh, we'll hate to destroy your perceptions of me, but I actually had visiting you in mind. Figured I’d see if wolves can really survive the cold out here.”  
  
“Ahou.” Was the only curt response the fist-fighter received. Ever since they had fought side by side with Kenshin, things were slightly different. Yes, they both never officially voiced their true respect for each other, but body language worked enough to express what their words would never. “Who knew roosters could last this long here..”  
  
“Heh…” Sanosuke chuckled at that only to add on, “Hey Saitou…” Still his turn to speak, Sanosuke paused nervously before rubbing the back of his neck. Acting all jittery definitely wasn’t like him. It was almost like he was doubting himself. “There’s a shrine nearby...go with me.”  
  
At that, Saitou blinked only to snicker. “So the ahou prays? Who figured.”  
  
“I….just come! I’ll be out of your hair afterward…” A strange darkness that was normally foregin to the young man filled his eyes, catching the police officer slightly off guard. Fine...he’d play along for a bit and see just what this rooster had in store for him. “Make it quick then Ahou...I don’t have all day.”  
  
“Heh, yeah...so come on.” Not even fully aware of it, Sanosuke reached out and snatched Saitou’s gloved hand and pulled the older male along. The entire situation was strange, to say the least, but it was even more unexpected that the cop hadn’t freed his hand from that startingly warm grip. Feeling the kid’s warmth seep through his gloves and against his skin was the truest reminder so far that after five years, Sanosuke was truly back. Why that caused a small ting of satisfaction in Saitou...the wolf didn’t know for sure.  
  
Trudging through the heavy load of snow that had fallen across Hokkaido, the only thing that could be heard was their breaths and the sounds of their footsteps crunching through the white vastness. Normally the population of Japan lived in close quarters, especially in the Tokyo area. But here in Hokkaido, it was a different story and frankly, it reminded Sanosuke of the wildness of the American plains that stretched for as far as the eye could see.  
  
Whether it took hours or only a few minutes, neither seemed to know but at some point they finally reached the small shrine. The small, well kept Shinto shrine was surrounded by a grove of trees that managed to give some cover from the falling snow that fluttered down from the sky. Stepping forward and releasing Saitou’s hand for now, Sanosuke stepped forward and pulled out a 5 yen coin. ( Note: the 5 yen coin is thought to bring good luck in Japan and the coin of choice when praying at a Shrine.)  
  
“So you do actually carry money? And here I thought you failed to make anything…” Saitou snickered, lighting another cigarette. Luckily the chill breeze in the area didn’t prevent this one from lighting.  
  
“Heh, I’m just full of surprises, aren’t I?” Sanosuke snickered only to grab Saitou by the front collar and tug slightly. “Come on, old man. Quit being stubborn and pray with me.”  
  
“Pray for what? For you to develop common sense?”  
  
“No, just...ugh, pray for whatever you want, but pray with me! Here, we can even share the same coin, so pray with me…”  
  
Saitou sighed and took a step back to silently observe the Ahou while he occasionally took drags from the cigarette held between his two fingers. Quiet, and bizarrely behaving himself for a change, Sanosuke threw the coin into the box and rang the bell. Then bending, he gave two simple bows before clapping his bandaged wrapped hands. And then closing his eyes they were both left in pure silence. Figuring that Saitou had joined in, Sanosuke ignored the cop for now as he started to pray feverishly.  
  
_“Sorry for this selfish request, please give me the opportunity to see Saitou in our next lives...give me a chance to become one with him…”_ Sanosuke squeezed his eyes tighter as if that action would increase the chance of his wish to come true. All he could do was hope whatever kami was listening in would pity him and take a chance on granting his wish in a future life. _“Let me become his strength, his sheath. Just, let me have a chance to be by his side.”_ The fighter knew the request was cheezy and that sort of prayer belonged to a young girl in love, but he had already fallen in so deeply, that with a straight face he was able to make sure of the request.  
  
“....” Saitou observed the various facial expressions cross Sanosuke’s youthful face and though he felt the urge to brush away the snowflakes that fell and then gradually melted on the boy’s skin, he didn’t. After all, such a move wouldn't be proper or like him. Tenderness was something he lacked, trading it for instead the ability to be utterly cruel.  
  
Releasing a breath he’d been holding, Sanosuke finally gave one more proper bow before turning to the side to eye Saitou. A shiver ran through his form and though he blamed it on the cold, it was surely due to those golden eyes that seemingly pierced into the far depths of the soul. It was moments like this that Sanosuke was reminded once more that he really did have a thing for this bastard. Knowing that always left a sick feeling in his stomach…  
  
“Whatcha waiting for? Aren’t you going to pray?” Sanosuke huffed childishly and shoved his hands in his pant’s pockets to warm his digits up.  
  
“.....” Saitou threw a coin into the bin as well, and soon copied the movements Sanosuke had used earlier in the progress of his prayer. When it came time for the moment of silence, Saitou got rid of the cigarette before clasping his gloved hands together.  
  
_“.....Don’t let the ahou die off too soon.”_ Saitou paused only to add on, _“Don’t let him join me in hell.”_  
  
Opening his eyes after the quiet pause, Saitou gave a stiff bow before standing up straight and casting a look over the rooster. Once more their eyes connected together and suddenly all Saitou could see were those eyes...always so open and...fuck trusting. It didn’t help that the damn brat looked so inviting...it was like Saitou could do whatever he wanted and Sanosuke would just let it happen. And fuck the knowledge that he had that he could wield that sort of power of the fist-fighter did strange things to the wolf’s insides.  
  
“...come.”  
  
“Eh, where?”  
  
“To grab soba. My treat...be grateful.”  
  
“Heh, you’re the best Saitou!” 

* * *

  
_“Heh, you’re the best Saitou!”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“the best...”_ _  
_ _  
_ The words echoed in Saitou’s head as he ignored the hand Kensei offered to him and stood up, making sure his blade was still attached to his side. As he was led away to the division he was told he’d be serving, the former cop couldn’t help but wonder just what had happened to Sanosuke after his passing. Saitou had been the first to pass away, and figuring how the idiot still hadn’t learned to fight defensively, he surely had to have lived only till the ripe age of 40…  
  
“I probably should introduce you to my lieutenants….ah, but for now let’s avoid dealing with Mashiro. That’ll just cause more trouble than it’s worth. Oh, there he is...Shu!” The Captain hollered with Saitou close behind him and snatched the mentioned Lieutenant's attention.  
  
“Sir?” Shuhei blinked and hell, Kensei suddenly was lost in that gaze. Shuhei’s hair usually did a good job hiding his eyes, especially now that the kid really needed a hair-cut, something he had yet to harass Hisagi about. But now that in this position he could really see those eyes even his hollow seemed affected by it.  
  
“Sir?” Shuhei repeated, his eyes breaking away to analyze the wolf-like male strolling silently behind his Captain. Was this the intruder that the 15th had mentioned before Kensei had interrupted and sent him away?  
  
Kensei faked a cough to brush away the sudden awkwardness and flashed a smirk. “Oi, Shu, meet Saitou Hajime. He’s going to be our first member of our Commando Unit that I mentioned earlier.”  
  
“...I see….” A little amused by the Captain’s behavior, Shuhei gave a slight bow as a form of politeness. “I look forward to working together…”  
  
“...I as well…” Courteous at least, Saitou let it go, not much for talking unless he was putting another person down.  
  
“I’m going to show him to his quarters, so hold down the fort while I’m out, kid.” Aware that the nickname would get a rise out of Hisagi, Kensei snickered and stepped forward, giving a light pat to the younger male. “Got it?”  
  
“Yes sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I've been wanting to write a crossover between these two series for a long time. My two favorite OTPs are Sanosuke x Saitou and Kensei x Shuhei. Heck, I first started writing Kensei x Shuhei on my addictedanimelover fanfiction account. ( I had issues with my account and therefore can no longer post on my addictedanimelover account.) However, I seem to have the bad habit of picking lesser-known ships, therefore I decided to try to with this crossover to introduce new readers to both of these ships. 
> 
> Also, seriously forgive me for the way I first introduced Saitou. It was a major struggle writing that part since I wanted to do a good job presenting him to an audience that might not be aware of him. If you'd liked to get to know more about him, please check out this link: https://kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Sait%C5%8D_Hajime


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya finds himself dealing with a thorn in his side while elsewhere in the World of the Living, Ichigo and Isshin find themselves treating the wounds of an unconscious male that looks strangely like a certain fist-fighter from Saitou’s past. What will happen when the stranger awakens?

Trouble was brewing in the air and Byakuya could feel it, his gut instincts warning him that something wasn’t right. Yes, Aizen had been defeated but a storm was coming...the noble was sure of it. Sighing quietly and pressing his fingers against his temple, Byakuya couldn’t help but think back to Rukia’s friend...Ichigo Kurosaki; the soul reaper that had managed to accomplish defeating Aizen when so many others had tried and failed. And yet after winning, Ichigo had lost all his powers. He’d been wiped clean of Soul Society in a way, but even deep down Byakuya had to admit that Ichigo had gotten the short end of the stick.  
  
Speaking of which, he probably should go check on Ichigo, right? It wasn’t like the teenager could see him and he doubted anyone in Soul Society would question him for visiting the World of the Living…well except for one person. Or rather beast.  
  
Byakuya groaned at the mere thought and pressed his fingers against his temple. Just thinking about the Captain of the eleventh division gave him a headache. It wasn’t because they had different backgrounds, one being quite the barbarian and one being a noble, but the fact that Kenpachi had no regard for anything he did was the true issue. He just killed and made a bloody mess for everyone else to clean up. Furthermore, Byakuya was really tired of always feeling as though Kenpachi was nagging him and searching for his weaknesses. What the Captain had in mind, he had no idea but seeing as Kenpachi’s trademark was putting up a good fight and not only that, loving it, Byakuya could only assume that a fight was what the beast was seeking out.   
  
_“Heh, is it really that bad putting up with him?” Shinji asked as he strolled alongside the noble. They had both finished up the Captain’s meeting and ending up leaving together, leaving the other Captain’s in the dust. Not that Captain Muguruma would truly mind even if he acted up and fussed. Seeing as how the Captain of the ninth’s eyes were locked on his Lieutenant. Shinji couldn’t understand why those two fools didn’t just get together at this rate. But of course, Kensei always confused his love interest in Shuhei as a close friendship, and Hisagi on the other hand associated his feelings with his adoration of his mentor._ _  
__  
__Looking away from two lovebirds, Shinji sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well?”_ _  
__  
__“....With all due respect, you wouldn’t be saying that if you were Captain Zaraki’s target.” Byakuya murmured, his tone of voice lacking any emotion, but his eyes still managed to speak volumes to make up for it._ _  
__  
__“Y’know, it might not be so bad to try and return his affections.” Shinji snickered at seeing Byakuya’s eyes widen before clenching his teeth in unleashed annoyance._ _  
__  
__“Correction Captain Hirako. It’s harassment.”  
  
  
_ Exactly. Byakuya's gaze harden in resolution. It really was harassment and nothing more. But he would forget about the troublesome thorn in his side for now and instead turn his attention to checking later on Ichigo Kurosaki.   
  
From the side, Renji watched quietly as various emotions spread across his Captain's normally stone-like face. Having been Byakuya's Lieutenant long enough, Renji had still struggled at times to learn how to read the noble's body language. As Kenpachi had said to him one day, "He's a piece of work!" The fact that the Captain of the eleventh division had even given his commentary about the noble, was to put it mildly strange and in so many ways off-putting. The red-head wasn't sure what was annoying Byakuya at this moment in times, but if it had something to do about Captain Zaraki he wouldn't be that surprised. 

* * *

Suddenly sneezing, Ichigo sniffled and grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose before heading over to the clinic bathroom to quickly wash his hands properly. Drying off his hands, Ichigo returned over to the room his father was in. “So how bad is it?” Ichigo asked, all business as he passed the doorway to stand by the bedside of the passed out stranger currently laid out on the medical bed.  
  
“Nothing I can’t treat. Mostly just some nasty cuts.” Isshin murmured, serious for a change as he concentrated on his work, treating each cut and bruise with the care that only someone with Isshin’s skill could do so efficiently. “Any idea who he is?” Ichigo added on, watching Isshin’s progress.  
  
“No, have you?”  
  
“Nope. He didn’t have anything on him that might give us a clue. But figuring how much of a mess he is in this state, and the fact he didn’t go to the police…” He trailed off, Isshin and Ichigo both reaching the same conclusion. They would watch over this young male until he woke up. Then it would be question time...Ignoring the strange feeling his felt on the back of his neck, Ichigo rubbed the spot with his hand before turning away from the unconscious male that looked like he was around his age.   
  
"I'll leave it to you then to watch over him?" Ichigo asked and received a nod from his Father in turn. Leaving Isshin Kurosaki behind, the teenager sighed and headed up the stairs to enter the house. Mumbling a greeting to Yuzu who was busying herself in the kitchen, Ichigo stumbled into his room and quietly pushed the bedroom door shut behind him. Ever since losing his powers, life had been well....difficult to say the least. It wasn't that he was crying himself to sleep and begging for things to return to what he had previously considered normal, but he utterly _hated_ feeling so weak and useless. He couldn't even protect his friends from hollows anymore. If anything, he was now in their care. Ichigo was fully aware that Uryu and Chad for one, would spend their nights fighting back the newest evils their town faced.   
  
And among other things...he had promised another fight with a certain Sexta. When he had told Uryu about the promise, the Quincy had immediately tried to spread doubt and shot it down.   
  
_"Okay, besides the point that Grimmjow is probably dead...you seriously would want to battle with him again!?!" Uryu stuttered, struggling to understand just what Ichigo was thinking in that thick skull of his. "He's an enemy and if he died, so be it! The world needs fewer idiots that could create havoc on the World of Living!"  
  
_ _"Uryu...it's kind of hard to explain, but when we were clashing blades, I felt..." Ichigo paused and stared down at his hands only to clench them into light fists. "I felt more alive than ever. I told myself and everyone around us that I fought Grimmjow solely to protect Orihime, but that wasn't quite right. "I'm not obsessed with fighting like him, but I can't deny that fighting with someone at your level of strength is exhilarating."  
  
_ _Uryu listened, but the poor Quincy looked just dumbfounded. It wasn't like Ichigo to talk like this. Last time he checked, the only time Ichigo ever fought was to protect or rescue someone. Fighting just for the hell of it, wasn't like his friend at all.  
  
_ _"Heh, but it's not like I can fight him in this state. Can you imagine how that would go?" Ichigo forced a soft laugh, to which Uryu joined in on, though still feeling as unsure as ever.  
  
"Yeah, he'd beat you to a pulp." Uryu chuckled weakly, but his eyes didn't leave Ichigo.   
  
  
_Ichigo was stirred from his wandering thoughts when he heard something hit his window. "Huh?" Opening the window, Ichigo stuck his head out to look about and survey what might be there waiting for him, but he didn't see anything notable. Just a few birds in the air and the noise of leaves rustling in the wind. Nothing to report.   
  
But something, or rather someone was there. "Oi, strawberry...I'm right fucking here." Glaring, Grimmjow threw another small rock which hit Ichigo smack in the cheek. He watched the teenager who was seemingly was blind as a bat stutter about and slam the window shut to go lick his wound like the little whimpering bitch he could be.   
  
So it really was true. The teenager couldn't see him or even feel his presence. How freaking cruel.  
  
Grimmjow had barely managed to survive but the mere suggestion that he could come back and fight the substitute soul reaper again had done wonders in regards to the Sexta healing, training, and growing stronger. All so he could win this time around and now he was dealt with this disappointing blow. Fuck Ichigo, if he was just going to let his lack of powers be the new norm. Grimmjow would find a new way to meet Ichigo, no matter what it took. He'd get that promised fight, dammit! 

* * *

  
_How many more hits was he gonna have to take? How many more stabs? How many more kicks?_  
  
 _Panting heavily, Sanosuke stumbled before resting his hand on the nearest hard surface which just happened to be a fence. His skin and clothes were soaked in sweat and blood, some of it his, some of it the men before him with pitchforks and swords in hand. These men were just your typical thugs that ran the underground world throughout Japan. But it was the fact there were just so many of them. Now that’s not to say he couldn’t handle a bunch of thugs versus him, but they’d been going at this for hours and he still had a way to go._  
  
 _Fuck. Saitou made a fair point. He really should have learned some defense moves._  
  
 _Chesting rising and falling rapidly, Sanosuke shuddered and raked his bloody fingers through his hair and pushed the strands of hair glued to his forehead. But the seconds he had gained to catch his breath ended the moment another man yelled at the top of lungs and ran forward, fists raised towards Sanosuke. Dodging the attack, Sanosuke rammed his elbow into the thug’s face before kicking the second attacker right behind him. Sanosuke didn’t give up one bit in returning every single attack thrown his way, but fuck, his eyesight was going blurry, he couldn’t feel half of his muscles anymore-_  
  
 _….Huh?_  
  
 _HUH?!?_  
  
 _Finding himself suddenly supported by an arm wrapped around his waist, Sanosuke and the thugs as well paused to look up to see this newcomer standing beside the fighter for hire._  
  
 _“S-Sait-” The rooster stuttered out, but he could barely even get one word past his lips. He knew the cop could handle himself in a fight, but he wanted to urge him to go away, let him deal with this...just let him… Sanosuke gave a weak shove against the older man, trying with all his might to make him go, but seeing as Saitou wasn’t the bloody, weakened mess he was, Sanosuke’s shoving turned out to be futile. Then again pretty much everything was futile against that wall of a chest belonging to that damn wolf._  
  
 _“Ahou....do me a favor for a change and shut it.” Saitou remarked with a forced sigh. Though his words were initially harsh, the fact that his hand never released Sanosuke, and that his golden eyes examined the damage to the fist-fighter, it just came to sure things were more complicated than it seemed._  
  
 _Sanosuke should be madder that Saitou was pretty much rescuing him and doubting his abilities to put up a good fight, but he couldn't find it within himself to be more frustrated. Poor Sanosuke was really falling for Saitou at this rate. Or maybe...it was just the lack of blood talking...it...it had to be._  
  
The memory faded and soon darkness loomed over to cover Sanosuke who trembled and cried out. He had no idea where he was, but he couldn’t see or feel. Lashing out, his limbs flung about and one hand came up to whack Isshin right in the face. The former Captain hissed and quickly checked the monitors attached to the teenager. His heart was beating almost out of control.   
  
About to yell for Ichigo, Isshin watched in confusion as the boy’s eyes finally open and though the kid seemed to see Isshin, he still was attempting to sit up and run away. “Hey….hey…” Isshin whispered quietly and raised his hands in defense, not taking a step closer until the boy’s wet eyes flickered down to look at his lap. “Easy there...you’re hurt...we don’t want your wounds to reopen after all…”   
  
“H...Hurt?” The teenager croaked, his throat dry from lack of use.   
  
“Yeah…” Isshin grabbed the pitcher of water beside the clinic bed and poured a cup before holding it out, like a peace offering. Grateful the kid before him was slowly calming down, Isshin watched as the boy took an unsure sip, and once satisfied that he wasn’t being poisoned, he quickly finished the cup before handing it back and wiping his mouth dry with the back of his hand.   
  
“Do you happen to remember what happened to you?” Isshin asked quietly and sat down in a chair by the bedside. Normally that seat was for visitors, but there wasn’t anyone for this unknown individual.   
  
“No….I don’t.” The teen whispered out and pressed his hand against his head, trying to seduce the throbbing he felt in his temple. Everything was pounding and even the back of his eyes were aching. “I can’t remember.”   
  
“Well…” The doctor trailed off only to ask as well, “What’s your name?”   
  
“...” He wasn’t sure, but then recalling the memory and feeling as though he shared a connection with the fighter, the boy poked his head up. “Sanosuke.” Saying the name out loud had a strange, soothing effect on the teenager. He wasn't sure who he was, or where he was, but at least that felt right saying.   
  
“Well, Sanosuke….let’s clean and check those injures of yours.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I hope everyone liked this chapter. Just like chapter 1, here I establish the characters that we will continue to see throughout this story. 
> 
> Now when it comes to the way I portrayed Ichigo and Grimmjow...I’m sorry how repetitive this storyline might seem. I have read fanfictions in the past that use this idea of Grimmjow visiting Ichigo when it doesn’t have his powers. But I ended up writing it like that too… *nervous laughter* I worry at times that I’m also not doing a good job balancing between the two manga series. Crossovers are a whole new world for me! Due to the fact that I'm including three Bleach ships and only one RK ship, I'm going to probably mess up and not make the representation fair. Forgive this poor fanfiction writer. *bows* Originally I wanted to add another RK ship, or include Chou as the third wheel, but seeing how the story is going, I've decided against it. What I might attempt to do instead is throw Chou into the back flashes Saitou and Sanosuke have. 
> 
> Also, I really seriously would love to hear from you guys. If you have any ideas on how the plot could go, I’m all ears. Plot is seriously my Achilles heel. I’m still unsure how I plan on having Saitou and Sanosuke meet, but I still have a while before we reached that point! And also smut at some point in time~ It wouldn't be one of my works if it didn't have smut XD

**Author's Note:**

> So...I've been wanting to write a crossover between these two series for a long time. My two favorite OTPs are Sanosuke x Saitou and Kensei x Shuhei. Heck, I first started writing Kensei x Shuhei on my addictedanimelover fanfiction account. ( I had issues with my account and therefore can no longer post on my addictedanimelover account.) However, I seem to have the bad habit of picking lesser-known ships, therefore I decided to try to with this crossover to introduce new readers to both of these ships. 
> 
> Also, seriously forgive me for the way I first introduced Saitou. It was a major struggle writing that part since I wanted to do a good job presenting him to an audience that might not be aware of him. If you'd liked to get to know more about him, please check out this link: https://kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Sait%C5%8D_Hajime 
> 
> Furthermore, it was tough deciding if Saitou would really join the ninth or a different division. A part of me wanted him to join the 11th division. But even though Saitou does enjoy a good fight, I don't think he enjoys it as extremely as Kenpachi would. Therefore, I settled on the ninth division. 
> 
> Now I did decide to throw in two other ships. One, Grimmjow x Ichigo and Kenpachi x Byakuya. These two couples I will concentrate less on, but I still will add chapters and later smutty parts for them, so have no fear! I will include them in soon. 
> 
> So yeah....please put up with my writing, haha. This is my first crossover and the biggest story I've planned in a while, so we'll see how this goes.


End file.
